An array is a data structure consisting of a collection of elements (values or variables), each of which is identified by at least one array index or key. Arrays are sometimes used to implement tables, such as look-up tables. Many software programs use arrays, which also can be used to implement other data structures, such as lists, strings and tries.
In general, it is desirable for an array to be persistent such that the data in the array remains valid even if power is removed from the device storing the array. For this reason, arrays often are stored on disk (e.g., flash memory). However, some arrays are mutable, such that the data structure can be updated, for example, to include additional elements. In such situations, the data in the array between transactions (e.g., between updates) may contain inconsistent states and, therefore, may contain errors.